Automobile sled.



PATENTED APR. 16, 1907.

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J. M. LAMBERT. AUTOMOBILE SLED. APPLICATION FILED JULY 15, 1 995 aEms-mm 1.

PATENTEDAPB. 16, 1907.-

J. M.- LAMBERT. AUTOMOBILE SLED. APPLICATION FILED JULY 15. 1905 asums-sans? a. i

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urrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH M. LAMBERT, OF MONTAGUE, MASSACHUSETTS. I

AUTQMOBlLE $1320.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed July 15,1905. 3erialNo. 269,795-

Patented April 16, 1907.

adapted to travel on runners, and has for its objects to producea'comparatively simple inexpensive deviceo; the character having aneri'ici nt mechanism for I ositively driving the vehicle, one wherein heengaging portons of the propelling member will be maintained at alltimes improper engagement with the surface over which the vehicletravels, and one in which the runner and propelling members willhavelree movement to conform readily to surface irregularities.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this classin which the propolling members will be maintained yieldably in contactwith the surface, one in which the propellers may be' di engaged fromand adapted to travel idly upon the drive-shaft in rounding curves, andone wherein the vehicle may be readily and positively steered.

With these and other obiects 111 view the invention comprises thefeatures of construction and comhinati n of parts more fully hereinafter(lfiSCIll'JfiLl.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly insection, of a vehicle embodying the invention. top pl 11 view of therunning-gear with the body removed. Fig. 2'; is a rear elev of the same.Fig. 4 is a detail horizontal section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.Fig. 5 is a detail View of the burial-brake. Fig. (i is a perspectiveview of one of the front hangers. Fig. 7 is a similar view of one of therear haniers.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the body of the vehicle,provided with a seat 2 .and mounted. for travel upon front runners 3 andrear runners t, pivoted tothe body in a manner hereinafter explained toswing in a vertical plane, there being ournalcd beneath the rear end ofthe body in bearings 3 a ro-.-,.

tary drive-shaft 6, having; lined thereon a dr ve wheel or gear 7, adopted to be connected,through themcdiunmf a drive-chain, with a suitablemotor.

Fixed beneath the rear end Uf'tllc body l.

' is a transversely-oxtending board 8, to which Fig. 2 is a is attachedsen'lieircular bearings or coupling members 9, centrally pivoted, as at10, between .the spaced side portions of semicircular bearing members orcouplings 11., fixed upon the top bars 12 of the runners 4:, thusadapting the latter to rock upon the horizontal pintles 10 in a verticalplane to conform to surface irregularities, while the front runners 3are connected by a transversely-ox.- tending board 12, pivoted at itsends to the runners and having fixed thereto semicircular bearings 13,pivoted on horizontalpintles or axles 14 in the forked heads 15 ofbearings having vertical stems 16, pivotally engaged with a transverseboard. 17, fixed beneath the vehiclebody *L The runners 3 are connectednear their forward ends by a transverse bar or element 12$,pivoted atits ends to they runners, there being pivoted, as at 19, to the board 12a lever 20, pivotaily connected, as at 2], to the bar 18 and having itsrear end pivotally engaged with a crank-arm 22, fixed upon the lowe. endof a steering-shaft 23, equipped with a hand-wheel 24, disposedwithinreach from the drivers seat 2. It is obvious that when the shaft23 is rotated in either direction the crank-arm 22 will act through themedium of lever 20 and crossbar 18 t swing the runners 3 horizontallyuponthe piv ots 16 for steering or guiding the vehicles and thatth'e'runnors will'rnove in unison, due to connection by the bar 18.

' The rear runners 4 each comprise a pair of spaced sections or frames25 26, between which is disposed one of a pair of propelling memlzors ordeviacs 27 in the form of a chain halt, arranged for travel upon aplurality of wheels or pulleys 28 and having outwardlyprojecting"surface-engaging spikes or teeth 29. The pulleys 28, which are-disposedrelatively in triangular form, are seated between a pair of sparedsubstantially triangular side plates 30 31., the pair of lower pulleys28 being journaled. upon horizontal pintles or axles 32, while the upperpulleys .28 of the propelling members are fixed upon the ends of and tobe driven with the shaft 6, the hearings 5 @of which latter are in theform of bracket,- -arms,attached to the inner plates 31.

It will be observed that under this construction and during rotation ofthe shaft 6 the propelling members or chains 27 will be positivelydriven and will, owing to engagement of the spurs or teeth ilfi fwiththe surfaceovcr which the vehicle travels; positively prope'lthe'veliiclc.

Fixed to each of the inner runner-frames 26 is a pair of vertical guidemembers '01- bars 33, on which are slidably-disposed connecting membersor clips 34, attached to the adj acent inner plate 31, whereby thepropelling devices 27 are adapted as a whole, together with the shaft 6,for vertical movement to f maintain the engaging spurs 29 yieldably in lcontact with the surface, this movement of lo the-parts being controlledby springs 35, the ends of which are engaged by crank-arms 36 fixedupon. the drive-shaft bearings 5. It is I apparent that under thisconstruction as the vehicle travels over the'ground the runners 4- 1 5 wll have a swinging movement, as before stated, for conforming to surface irregularities and that the springs 35 will serve to maintain thepropelling members yieldably in contact with the surface, thus adaptingthem to conform to the movement of the'runners. The upper pulleys 28,carried by the shaft 6, are each provided 'at its inner face with achamber 37, designed to receive a clutch head or disk 3S,'slidablydisposed upon a squared portion 39 of the shaft and having a hub 40provided with a peripheral groove 41, which receives the forked end of alever s2,

pivoted at 43 to the vehicle-frame and adapted for moving theclutclehead against the action of a spring 44, by means of which it isnormally pressed to clutching position. The springs -44- serve, as willhe understood, for

pressing the clutch members 38 into frictional contact with pulleys 28,thus fixing the latter for rotation with shaft 6, it being ap parentthat by moving either of the lovers 42 rim-corresponding clutch 38 maybe moved to non-engaging position, thereby releasing the correspondingpulley 28 and adapting it to travel idly upon the shaft, whereby eitherof the propelling devices 27 may be thrown out of action in roundingcurves.

The upper or driven pulleys 28 are each provided on its inner face with.a horizon- 4 5 tally-projecting braking portion or flange 45, adaptedfor engagement by a strap or band brake 46, having one end fixed, as at47, to the adjacent li'earinghrm 5 audits other end 1 attached to anope'rating lever 48, it being I per 0r driven pulleys 28 for positivelypro-- pelling the vehicle, which may be steered through the medium ofthe shaft 23 and its connected steering mechanism, as heretoforeexplained. To check the speed of the vehicle, the brakes 46 are broughtinto firmengagement with the braking-surfaces 45, while propellingdevices may be either of the thrown out of action through the medium oflevers 42 and clutch member 38 to adapt the vehicle for rounding curves,as before we plained.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I 'produce a comparatively simpleinexpensive device of the character described admirably adapted for theattainment of the ends'in view, it being understood that minor changesin the details herein set forth maybe resorted to Without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what claim is p v In a device of theclass described, a vehicle provided with a runner comprising a pair ofspaced side members, a plurality of pulleys ournaled between the sidemembers ofthe' runner, a propelling-chain arranged for travelv on saidpulleys and having surface-engaging portions, a drive-shaft sustainedbeneath he vehicle and having one of the "chain carryin'g pulleys idlymounted thereon,,and means for:

clutehing said pulley to or releasing it from the shaft at will foroperating the propellingchain.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.I JOSEPH M. LAMBERT.

Witnesses:

FRANK A. FOSTER, '1 OWA GINGRAs.

